Gen Z Creators Are Embracing Brain Rot

CREATOR NEWSLETTER


Recently, the term brain rot has evolved from a basic synonym for being chronically online, to a fully-fledged meme and ironic slang language. Words like gooning, rizz, sigma, gyatt, and skibidi have formed a new cultural lexicon that’s shooting content creators to popularity and permanently warping online and offline speech, according to etymologists.

The term brain rot has been used since as early as 2007 to describe the mental state of those who are considered too online. The release of the 2011 video game “The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim,” in which brain rot is a contractible disease, furthered its popularity. As social media blossomed, brain rot also transformed into a noun, referring to low-quality, absurdist, or attention-grabbing content filled with internet references.

But now, brain rot has taken over. We’re all chronically online and brain rot content has grown into its own lucrative content genre, complete with a distinct linguistic style. We’ve also seen the explosion of niche brain rot. There’s political brain rot, sports brain rot, and even skincare brain rot.

This week, we dove deep into the rise of brain rot and whether this new internet language has staying power. Read the full story here.


CULTURE

How Brain Rot Became the Internet’s Newest Language

Brain melting into phone screen

Try Out The New TikTok Ad Assistant

If you’re trying to grow your TikTok audience, buying ads that extend the reach of your content is the platform’s preferred way to do it. Give yourself the gift of attention and set up a TikTok for Business Account today and get up to $100 in bonus advertising when you spend your first $100.


IN THE BIZ


LABOR

New Report Finds That Most Creators Make Under $50K

Nearly 2,000 creators were surveyed.

By Steven Asarch, Passionfruit Contributor

Linktree logo and a conceptual photo collage of a rising bar line and shopping carts.

PERSONALITIES

YouTuber Oompaville Doesn’t Know How He Got the MrBeast Interview

YouTuber Oompaville sat down with MrBeast to discuss the various allegations surrounding his YouTube channel.

By Steven Asarch, Passionfruit Contributor


UPCOMING EVENTS


WHAT WE’RE WATCHING

Content for Creators.

News, tips, and tricks delivered to your inbox twice a week.

Newsletter Signup

Latest Newsletters

  • 📈 Top Executives Share Predictions for 2023

    📈 Top Executives Share Predictions for 2023

    CREATOR ECONOMY NEWSLETTER Issue #98 | Jan. 5, 2023 Seismic shifts rattled the creator economy in 2022. The rise of BeReal, AI-driven tech, VidCon’s return, and splashy creator-owned businesses like MrBeast’s Feastables all left their mark on the scene. We witnessed the tumultuous fall of TikTok’s creator fund, creator-backed crypto projects, TikTok-rival Triller, and even…

  • 💵 What Can We Learn From TikTok’s Richest Creators?

    💵 What Can We Learn From TikTok’s Richest Creators?

    CREATOR ECONOMY NEWSLETTER Issue #97 | Jan. 3, 2023 As a relatively new platform, TikTok is still a wild west of sorts in the content creation game and has a reputation for reach over reward. Its monetization potential hasn’t stacked up to YouTube’s just yet, but its active userbase is a behemoth, surpassing over 1.5…

  • 👩‍💻 These Creators Are Keeping Their Day Jobs

    👩‍💻 These Creators Are Keeping Their Day Jobs

    CREATOR ECONOMY NEWSLETTER Issue #96 | Dec. 29, 2022 For many, quitting a 9-to-5 job to pursue content creation full-time is a dream. However, there are a growing number of creators who are rejecting this move—even when they are able to earn enough off social media to make a living. Instead, they are keeping their…